Reluctantly Humane
by SephyraCrescent99
Summary: **RIN IS 18 IN THIS STORY** **NOT AN AU** Rin is a mortal. Always has been, always will be. At the age of 11 she was left in Lady Kaede's care so that she could one day make the decision to either stay integrated with humans or return to her eventful life alongside her savior Sesshomaru. Today she turns 18. Today she makes her decision. **DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN INUYASHA**
1. Chapter 1: Happy Birthday, Rin

Rain droplets hit the straw roof of a hut as a village was slowly brought to a waking point. Men began to peek out of their homes and mothers started to grab the backs of their children's shirts to keep them from going out in the wet and getting sick. The air was thick with laziness and quiet as everyone had a hard time getting their day started with the grey and groggy weather. One hut, however, seemed to be going against the trend. A loud voice very suddenly rang out over all else in the village, causing the birds to fly away and some of the water to shake from the roof.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY, RIN!" Six voices rang out in unison. The one room home was extremely crowded with human bodies and excitement. Kagome, InuYasha, Shippou, Miroku, Sango, and Lady Kaede were all clad in birthday hats that Kagome brought across from her era. Inside everyone's mouths were noise makers that, to be quite frank, made Rin want to strangle whoever had the audacity to invent those contraptions.

"Thank you guys. Really, it's no big deal." The sleep-riddled raven-haired women sat up on her futon, waving everyone away sheepishly. Sleep was still heavy on her eyes and her hair was tangled in a mess that was matted to the back of her head with sweat. Although the room was cold, Rin was often plagued with nightmares in her sleep.

"What do you mean 'No big deal'?!" Kagome and Sango scoffed at the exact same time.

"You are eighteen today! Don't you know what that means?!" Kagome knelt beside Rin and attempted to pull her up so that she could dress her for the day. Rin, however, had different ideas and tugged her arm away from the girl.

"It means that you are a full-fledged woman now. It means that any day now men are going to start lining up at that door asking you to bear their children." A fist quickly collided with the top of Miroku's head and he immediately went into sulking mode.

"Try not to listen to him. It is an art I still have not completely mastered." Sango sighed apologetically before glaring at her husband once more for emphasis.

"Why don't you all back off of her? I'm sure she wants some space. We all know what this day really means." InuYasha pushed off of the doorframe and took his place beside Kagome, pulling her to her feet. He was right, everyone did know what this day really meant to Rin. It was all she had been able to talk about since it was promised to her by Sesshomaru.

"Aye. This day has been long coming. I am sure the young woman wants some space to think." Kaede began to shoo people out of the hut and out into the ran where they were forced to quickly disperse to their own homes. "Take ye time, dear Rin." The old woman said before bowing out of the door herself. Rain did not mean that she could rest for the day. If anything, more villagers were bound to be sick in the wet and cold weather.

Finally alone, Rin stretched and began to brush the tangles from her hair. The rain pattering on the roof made for a fine mood brightener as she ran the bristles of the hairbrush that Kagome brought for her through her raven locks, giving them the sheen that men tended to love so much. After she finished, she got up and washed herself before putting on her clothes for the day. She chose the last kimono that Sesshomaru brought her: a long-sleeved kimono with a midnight-blue base and silver koi designs. She loved it because it made her feel like royalty, but hated it because its size reminded her that it had been almost three years since Sesshomaru came to see her last.

She could still remember when she received the gift. She was fourteen almost fifteen at the time, and she had been eagerly awaiting his arrival for almost two weeks. She made sure to pay attention during her lessons during that time. She always figured that if she seemed like she had learned all that she could from the humans then maybe, just maybe, Sesshomaru would take her with him once more. However, that day never did come. Instead, when the day came for him to arrive, he did so late in the night which was not common for him. Rin was not awake, which was most likely his intention, so he left the kimono delicately placed right beside her futon with a note that told her he would not return until the day of her eighteenth birthday.

Rin saved the note all of those years in hopes that it would keep his scent which calmed her whenever she felt as though she may be in danger. Throughout her childhood she began to develop severe anxiety whenever she was around too many humans at once, and as she got older she began to make the decision to stay inside and away from the others more and more. In short, Rin lost most of her innocent cheer.

After putting some essential oils on her skin, Rin poked her head out of the hut to get a whiff of the fresh rain-ridden air. She loved the rain so much. It reminded her that even the earth took the time to have an off day every once in a while, and that ultimately, the earth benefitted from its time off. With her anxiety, Rin had many days that she was hardly able to brave going outside, but Kagome and Sango were always there to assure her that it was okay to take some time to care for herself. They always reminded her that she would never be able to help anyone else if she wasn't first able to tend to her own needs.

The sound of children laughing filled the air suddenly as the clouds above began to part and let the sun through, signaling the end of the rain and, symbolically, the end of Rin's alloted introvert time. She knew that she needed to take advantage of the clearing weather to go see her "kids" as she had begun to start calling them.

At the edge of the village, there was a hut that was home to all of the orphaned children that Rin had come across in her time among the humans. Having grown up an orphan herself, she knew how hard it was to live among other humans who didn't understand what being an orphan meant to not only the child's quality of life, but their mental state as well.

As she approached the hut, she began to sense that there was a looming sense of tension. Cautiously, she stepped foot within the hut. The source of her feeling was quickly made known to her as feathers filled the air and the shrill sound of singing children filled her ears as they shamelessly belted out the "Happy Birthday" song that Kagome taught them a few years ago.

"Happy Birthday Rin!"

"We love you!"

"Thank you for everything that you do!" The young woman was quickly surrounded by six children who all but worshiped the ground she walked on. She was to them what Sesshomaru was to her: a savior, an idol, a source of life in their world of darkness and despair.

"Thank you guys!" She mustered the happiest sounding voice that she could manage amidst her inner conflict that day. "How did you guys do last night? It was cold. Did you tend to yourselves like I told you to? It's going to be warm today so you all need to make sure that you bathe..." before Rin could get too lost giving the children directions, the eldest stepped forth with a chuckle.

"We have it down, Rin. I will make sure that everything gets done. You just make sure to have a good birthday for us, okay?" The boy's name was Taiyo and he was the first orphan that Rin found. He was going on seventeen now and always seemed to ease Rin's mind when she would almost lose it worrying about the others who lived in the hut.

"I will be sure to. Do you remember what we talked about?" Taiyo sighed at the question, having been fearing that question.

"I do, and I am prepared to take the actions discussed then as well. I have everything taken care of. Just have a good birthday, Rin." He emphasized. He agreed to let the children know about Rin after she left the village. She knew that was unfair, but she simply didn't have it within herself to look into their eyes as she, their only parental figure, made the decision to leave. Of course her intention wasn't to leave them, but they couldn't possibly understand that at their young age.

After hugging each and every one of her "kids" twice over, she got up and left to find Kagome. She said that she had a few items that she wanted her to take with her when she left. Honestly there was no telling what Kagome had thought of in that crazy head of hers. Rin smiled softly as she thought of all of the times that the Higurashi girl burst into Lady Kaede's hut with something new from her era. The thing that Rin favored the most was these things called "tampons". They allowed her to pass her blood without making a huge mess. So, at the very least, she hoped that Kagome's looming care package included some of those for her journey.

The day passed with relative ease. Kagome's care package consisted of tampons, chocolate, and various other things that Rin had grown accustomed to in her time around the humans. Rin sat inside of Kaede's hut staring at the yellow backpack with a mild sense of sadness as she realized that this was probably the last time that she would be able to stock up on these things that she had grown to love. She also knew the meaning behind the yellow backpack and what it meant to everyone who had been taking care of her these past years. It made her heart warm to know that they found her worthy to pass it down to.

The only part of the day that was particularly difficult was the goodbyes. InuYasha and Miroku decided that it would be best if everyone said their part a few hours before Rin was set to leave. That way they could start "healing from their loss" as the two men so delicately put it. Rin knew that it would be difficult for them, but she hoped that they would soon manage to get back into the swing of life. The village definitely needed all of them to be on their best game. Especially with all of the children being born lately.

As the moon came to its crest in the sky, the air around the hut began to stir, causing the foundation to creak and moan. Rin gingerly got to her feet and moved the bamboo curtain aside to reveal a man of inhuman stature. His tall, slim figure was adorned with a beautiful, white-based robe adorned with mighty armor fit for a king. Long, silver hair outlined the man's entire frame and his golden eyes pierced through the night. "Rin." He greeted.

"Lord Sesshomaru." She murmured. Normally she would have bowed as she had been taught in her lessons, but at this point in time she was much too distracted by how utterly unchanged the man before her was from the last time she saw him. His skin remained every bit as youthful as it was when she first saw him wounded in the forest, and he seemed to be in as good of shape as ever. How Rin managed to form any sort of bond with a man such as this one was completely beyond her.

"I assume you have made your decision?" His deep voice surrounded her with a peace she hadn't known for a long while. She always had an overwhelming sense of safety around Sesshomaru, like she was untouchable. Though, in a way, she was. She knew that the InuYoukai would never let anyone lay so much as a threatening finger on her.

"Aye, my Lord." She stood, holding her bags, knowing that would be all the explanation that the man before her would desire.

"Then let us depart." The two walked out of the hut to be met with a certain white-haired hanyou that Sesshomaru had no particular liking for. "What is it, brother?" A hand surrounded in a green mist extended towards the half-demon.

"I'm not here to fight for once, so don't be a jerk. I just...take care of her." InuYasha sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose between his fingers; something he did often now that Kagome was around almost constantly. "I know that you aren't really built for caring about people, but Rin has been through a lot. You know that. Just take care of her, alright?"

Rin stepped forward and, much to Sesshomaru's dismay, placed her hand on InuYasha's cheek before giving it a kiss. She then wrapped her arms tightly around the man and whispered a "thank you" in his ear. He returned the hug after a brief moment and breathed a quiet "happy birthday" in return. As the pair parted, the white-haired man gave his big brother one last look before jumping off into the night, no doubt going to comfort a disgruntled Higurashi girl.

Rin stared after him for a second before turning to run after Sesshomaru, who was already almost out of sight. When they made it back to A-Un, Rin sat right behind her Lord on the animal with ease. Before taking off, a clawed hand presented the woman with a tiny, wrapped package. "Happy Birthday, Rin." A deep voice rumbled before the air picked up, and the two set off into the dark night.

AN: Other chapters will be longer, but I had to get through the awkward leaving phase first. Thank you!

-SephyraCrescent


	2. Chapter 2: At the Snap of a Wrist

Rin fell asleep somewhere between the village and Sesshomaru's palace. As soon as A-Un's feet hit the ground, however, she was quickly awake. The ride couldn't have taken more than an hour, but Rin was simply exhausted from the day she had. Saying goodbye and dealing with people in emotional distraught was not a task for the weak of mind or heart, and while the young woman was neither, it still took a great toll on her. "We have arrived." Sesshomaru announced as he gracefully demounted and encouraged Rin to do the same.

The palace was small but accommodating. Sesshomaru found that he had no need for extravagance, but his mother was insistent that he not live in anything less than a home fit for royalty. This was the least he could scrape by with without ruffling any unnecessary feathers. However, though it was little to him, it was everything to Rin.

She never did visit the palace when she was a child. During that time things were far too hectic for her and her Lord to stay in one place for too long. Instead they would often seek shelter in various villages that knew of and were in service to Sesshomaru and his demonic prowess and rank. However, this delicate palace was proof that times had definitely changed. Although Rin was sure that they were there, she could not even see any patrolling guards. "Come, Rin. I will show you to your room."

The pair walked to the west wing of the palace where the bedrooms were located. Sesshomaru told Rin to wait outside as he stepped into an extremely large room that she assumed was his own. When he returned, he did so without his armor or weapons. _'He really is comfortable here if he is willing to strip himself of his protection'_ Rin thought. As a child she never once saw him without his armor and swords at his side. The least the ever saw him protected was when she met him in the forest...a time that she could hardly recall at this point in her life. She was snapped from her inner monologue when the InuYoukai opened a door right beside his that led to an extremely spacious room of her very own.

The paper lining the walls was the same color as the rest of the palace except it was decorated with delicate koi emborderings. Her futon was a royal blue as were many of the accents in the room. The thing that stood out to her the most was the vase that was sitting on the floor in the far left corner. In it were black roses, an extremely rare plant that Rin had grown to love as Sesshomaru brought them to her when he would come to visit. They were simple yet they held a certain depth that could be interpreted differently by each individual which beheld them. "Do you find it to be to your liking?" The emotionless man behind her inquired. She knew he really did care, he just was never good at portraying emotion of any sort.

"Yes, I love it. Thank you, Lord Sesshomaru." She gave a tiny bow and he spared her a slight nod in response. Although it was not required of her by any means, she always felt as though she should show the up-most respect to her savior. After all, without him, she would not be alive to breathe and walk the earth as she did.

"I suggest you get some rest, Rin. Morning is still many hours away." With that the man closed her door and she could hear his footsteps as he returned to his room. A small glow filled the room as he lit a candle on the other side of her paper-thin wall. His shadow danced throughout her room as he relieved himself of his traveling garb. The outline of his long hair swirled around him as he changed into his night clothes. The way he moved was almost hypnotic to anyone who had the privilege of watching. Rin always assumed that was a trait that came along with being demon. Then again, she could remember watching InuYasha stumble around the village like a drunken fool. This made her completely rethink her assumptions.

There was a window on the wall to the left of Rin's futon which was pressed up against the wall separating her and her Lord's bedrooms. The young woman stood and parted the curtains that acted as a shield between her and the crisp night air. She always favored being awake during the late hours of the night as it allowed her to think clearly. During the day she always felt as though she had to put on a strong act for those who cared about her. She always felt forced to seem more concise and sure of herself than she ever really was. At night, however, she was able to truly be alone and sort through her thoughts.

Although she had wanted to live with her Lord for what seemed like an eternity, she couldn't help but feel as though there was something wrong with her situation. Sure, she was sad that she had to leave behind some of the people of the village in order to live the life she truly felt lead to live, but that wouldn't be the reason for the hollowness that she felt in her chest, would it? Rin glanced over to see the outline of Sesshomaru sitting at the desk in his room, and that is when it dawned on her.

Back in Kaede's village, she had a purpose. Some days she would help Kaede with healing any injured townspeople, some days she would help Kagome gather herbs, and everyday she tended to her little hut on the outskirts of the village. Every day she awoke with purpose. Every day she had something that demanded that she remain strong and composed. Now, however, she had no such thing occupying her time. While she was elated to be in her Lord's presence again, she simply could not shake the feeling of darkness as her lack of purpose registered not only in her mind, but her heart as well. She couldn't help but fear becoming a burden to not only those that were so kind as to take her in, but also herself.

"Rin?" A small voice brought her attention from her inner thoughts and directed it towards the doorway which lead outside. There she saw an imp who was as small as the day she last saw him.

"Jaken!" The woman exclaimed immediately before she quickly crossed the room and stooped down to take the tiny demon servant in her arms. "It's been so long, Master Jaken!" The tiny green animal made gurgling noises as the woman before him squeezed the near life from his small body.

"Y-Yes Rin it has. I just wanted to see you for myself since Lord Sesshomaru forbade me from following him when he would come to see you throughout the years. I see you're as foolish as ever. What are you doing awake?! You need your sleep-" The imp rattled on and Rin sat patiently, smiling at him just as she did when she was younger and he would go off on a tangent. That is, once she learned to appreciate his long stories. She was not always the gracious being that she became in her more adult years.

"Do not worry yourself, Master Jaken. I was just heading to bed. Is there anything else you need from me before I retire?" Rin turned towards her bed, suddenly overcome with the same intense exhaustion that she experienced on her ride over to the palace. Before she could hear an answer from the small imp, she was fast asleep in the comfort of her new home.

Morning came all too soon for the girl. She woke with a start from yet another of her nightmares. This time she saw the wolves that annihilated her village. Her hair was once again matted to her head with sweat and she could smell how rancid her breath was from mouth-breathing all night. In short, she was not a sight for sore eyes this particular morning.

After taking some time to brush out her raven hair and freshen her breath with some "gum" that Kagome told her would help with her rancid breath, she stepped outside into the crisp morning air. That is, only to find that it wasn't morning at all. It was nearly noon. "So nice of you to join us Rin." Jaken's shrill voice chirped at her as her eyes adjusted to the light.

"What do you mean, Master Jaken?" She rubbed her eyes just as she did when she was a child, and for a brief moment Sesshomaru caught a glimpse of the child-like innocence that Rin carried throughout her years with him. The same innocence that made him take her with him all of those years ago in the forest.

"I mean that it's almost noon and you've nearly missed your lessons!" This woke Rin right up. She hadn't had "lessons" since she was fifteen.

"What do you mean _lessons?_ " She chirped, adjusting her kimono as a breeze blew through the courtyard. This time it wasn't Jaken who replied. Instead, Sesshomaru took it upon himself to offer an explanation.

"Your combat lessons, Rin. If you plan to stay with an InuYoukai you should also expect to be fully prepared to deal with the dangerous consequences." Rin nodded in agreement, the empty feeling from last night slowly starting to dissipate. Maybe this is just what she needed.

"Very well, My Lord. When shall we begin?" She bowed slightly.

"Right after you have been fed and you change into your fighting gear." She wouldn't dare question him, but she wasn't sure exactly what fighting gear Sesshomaru was referring to. Regardless, he mentioned food, and that was what she was most worried about at present.

She closely followed Jaken into the dining hall, not really needing him since she could smell the food from the moment she stepped out of her room that "morning". As she stepped in, the servants offered to take her jacket and shoes. She graciously declined, however, because she didn't believe in being tended to by anyone other than herself. The only service she wasn't prepared to decline was the cooking seeing as how she herself wasn't well versed in the art.

"Thank you so much." Rin bowed to the chef after she finished eating. Although she was sure it wasn't ladylike to eat as quickly as she did, the cook graciously accepted her thanks and told her she only need let him and his kitchen staff know if she would like to request anything specific in the future. With a few more gestures of gratitude, Rin slowly backed out of the dining hall and headed back to her room to find out just what "fighting garb" her Lord had been referring to.

On her futon she found a black suit, very similar to Sango's, except the accompanying armor was the same royal blue as the accents in her room. _'I wonder if he had Sango make this for me.'_ she wondered. She was sure he did since she had never seen this type of clothing for women on anyone else besides the demon slayer woman.

After maneuvering herself into the gear, Rin made her way out into the courtyard where she last saw Sesshomaru. She instantly stood still once she opened her door because the sight that she was met with was magnificent beyond compare. In the middle of the courtyard stood an assortment of bonsai and cherry blossom trees. Beneath them laid a decent sized Koi pond. At the water's edge sat a peaceful-looking InuYoukai. He had his hair tied back, and he wore the same armor he had her whole time of knowing him. Something about how regal he looked stole the breath from her very lungs. He never ceased to amaze her with his dignity and poise. "Are you ready, Rin?" He was standing in almost an instant, startling Rin as she somehow thought that he was unaware of her presence.

"Yes, My Lord. Except, I have no weapon." She had never been trained in the art of sword-fighting or dagger play, but she did know how to counter a few punches at the courtesy of InuYasha. Not that he ever intentionally tried to hurt her, but he did want to make sure that she at least knew how to somewhat protect herself if she was going to be living under the watch of his "jackass of a brother", as he so delicately put it.

"You will not need one for a while now. Before one can properly learn how to wield a blade, they must first learn how to wield themselves." Sesshomaru motioned for Rin to take a place in front of him. She did as told, but with a confused expression on her face. To this, he sighed. "You must learn how to use the power naturally bestowed to you. One holds a lot of power within their flesh alone, it is just a matter of them learning how to brandish it.".

"I see, so what you are saying is that I can punch someone really hard if I learn how to channel my own power?" Rin looked at her fist intently, much like InuYasha did when gave a passionate speech about his strength. This caused Jaken to sigh and Sesshomaru to narrow his eyes slightly. He never once thought that he would see an inkling of resemblance between his brother and Rin. However, it was unfortunately unfolding right before his yes.

"To put it simply, yes."

"But how much power would _I_ be able to have, exactly? My Lord, I do not intend to question your knowledge, but I am but a human." Since Sesshomaru left Rin at Kaede's village at the age of 11, he had been researching all he could on the power of the human body. Anything that he knew to start out with came from his brother's idiotic tendencies and Rin's childish mannerisms. However, he knew full and well that she would not remain a weakling child forever, so he made sure that he knew what he needed in order to provide her with a safe environment when she inevitably chose to live with him.

"Most of a human's power comes from strict physical and spiritual training."

"I see." Rin had her hand under her chin in an attempt to appear increasingly enlightened. InuYasha always told her that if she channeled her anger enough she could be certain to at least hurt a guy. Miroku also taught her on her sixteenth birthday that if a man was trying to force himself on her, then she should kick him between the legs. This, however, was the extent of her fighting knowledge.

"Try and hit me." This certainly snapped Rin out of her daze.

"My Lord?" She couldn't believe what she was hearing.

" _Try and hit me, Rin_." He said slowly, as if she couldn't understand.

"I know what you asked, My Lord, but I fail to understand how you think that will be possible for me." Sesshomaru shifted so that Rin could be sure to know that he was growing tired of her talking.

"Can you not follow a simple order, Rin? I said to _hit. me._ " The young woman's eyebrow twitched at the challenging of her intelligence, just as he expected. He know that women, particularly young women, always grew somewhat violent when their intellectual integrity was put on the line. It was, however, common knowledge that women were smarter than men.

"Very well." She said in the most confident tone she could muster before she sprung from her spot, fist stretched out directly in front of her. She condensed all of her irritation from his earlier remarks into one blow, and as it collided she slowly realized her mistake. At first she didn't feel anything, but as seconds passed she could feel the white-hot agony spreading from her hand to her wrist. Within a moment, she was on the ground.

"What is it, Rin?" Sesshomaru knelt beside her and Jaken ran up in his typical, Imp-ish fashion.

"I-I think I broke my hand, My Lord. I cannot move it." The InuYoukai had to take a moment to compose himself. He knew that humans had fragile bones, but he didn't know that they were _that_ fragile.

"Very well. Jaken, go get the healer and have them come directly to Rin's room. Rin, can you walk?" She huffed and looked up at her lord through her bangs.

"I hurt my wrist not my legs. I'm sure I'll be fine." Unthinkingly, she tried to push up off of the ground with her hurt hand, causing her to fall back down and cry out once more. Without a word, Sesshomaru scooped Rin up in his arms and silently walked her to her room. Rin's face burned with an intensity she had never known. Sure, he did this many times when she got hurt as a child, but that was then. That was _before_ she began to notice things that she shouldn't be noticing about him and his figure and how he held himself when he thought that nobody was looking.

He set her down on her futon and stepped back, observing as she scrambled to get under the covers and cover her face with her one hand. "Thank you, Lord Sesshomaru. I can take it from here." She squeaked. He looked at her with diluted amusement and turned to exit the room.

"We will resume training as soon as you are healed. Until then, be sure to rest and not strain your wrist. You will most definitely need it to be fully functional if you ever plan on becoming a skilled fighter." With that, he left her to her thoughts. Her many...many thoughts.


	3. Chapter 3: Realization

**_AN: I won't be updating this regularly from now on. I decided to upload the chapters so quickly so that readers could have something to get them into the storyline before I only update once a week/every other week. It will most likely be irregular because of Senior Year struggles, but I will do my best to not have long intervals between uploads._**

 _ **Also, a big thank you to those who have already followed the story and reviewed! You are all so amazing 3**_

 _ **Thanks for reading!**  
-_

 _Bark, dirt, grass, crisp leaves. She could feel all of it beneath her nimble hands. Branches rustling, water dripping, birds chirping, her knees crunching the ground as she crawled. She could hear all of it. Morning dew, leftover smoke from a cooking fire, winter flowers, food. She could smell all of it. She could even taste the morning in the air. The only thing she could not do was_ see. _She tried with all of her might, even using her hands to pry her eyes open, but she could not see anything besides blackness._

 _Frantically, Rin felt around on the ground before her. She could tell that she was in some kind of filed, but she couldn't quite make out where. Deciding it was better to stay still, the woman sat herself upright to avoid running into anything. The air around her was quiet and peaceful. She could tell that it was still in the colder months as the chill air nipped at any and all of her exposed skin. Which, much to her dismay, was all of it._

 _She opened her mouth in an attempt to call for Kagome, Kaede, or even Sesshomaru, but no matter how hard she tried, her voice would not make itself known. Similar to how she had done with her eyes, she used her hands to prop open her jaw. Up until this point, Rin assumed that the wetness on her palms came from the dew on the grass that she was crawling in. However, as soon as her fingers came in contact with her mouth, she could taste the familiar tang of metallic blood._

 _Her mouth opened wide in horror, but a scream would not free itself from her lips. 'Where did the blood come from? Why can I not see? Why can I not speak?' She thought to herself as a lone tear made its way down her cheek. Before she could give the inquiries much thought, she heard a low and feral growl. It was very similar to the one that she heard right before she was struck down as a child. Right before her Lord revived her._

 _Suddenly, a white-hot pain shot up her arm as she felt the beast bite into her arm. "Rin!" She heard a shrill voice exclaim from somewhere in the woods. She desperately tried to extend her voice, but it just wouldn't reach outside of the confines of her mind._

 _"Rin." She heard again. This time the voice was deeper and the tone more even. Her body began to shake frantically as sweat poured from what seemed like every pore in her body._

"RIN!" The young woman was abruptly pulled back to reality by another wave of the shrill voice. Her body was trembling severely and she found it hard to catch her breath. Once again, she felt as though she could not speak as she tried her damndest to reply to whoever it was that awakened her. Slowly, her vision adjusted to her surroundings and she saw that she was safely in her room. Jaken, the small imp that followed her Lord around, was at her side looking at her with large amounts of concern. "Are you okay, Rin?! I heard you screaming and I came as fast as I could." The poor demon was extremely out of breath as he huffed and puffed, trying to calm himself so that he could tend to his friend. Suddenly, two small arms engulfed him.

"I'm okay, Jaken. You don't need to worry!" Rin chirped, fighting to keep the flushed imp in her grasp. It wasn't until she heard someone clear their throat that she discovered Sesshomaru's presence in the room. The young woman quickly un-handed Jaken and used her good arm to rub the back of her head sheepishly. "Lord Sesshomaru. I did not know you were in the room. My apologies." Instead of replying, the stoic man simply analyzed what he could see of Rin. From what he could tell she was fine, but he could still hear her heartbeat going frantic. "Is something wrong, My Lord?" She could help but feel nervous about his silence.

"Jaken, stay here with Rin until she calms down. I will go get the healer so that they can give her wrist another look." As much as Rin didn't want the healers to come back, she managed to bite back her argument. Last time they came to tend to her, they put her to sleep because they feared that her stubborn nature would override her reason, and thus she would hurt herself further.

"Very well, My Lord." The imp bowed lowly before turning back towards the woman. "Are you sure you're okay, Rin? You were screaming pretty loudly in your sleep. It almost sounded like someone was trying to kill you!" Rin could tell that the small servant was spiraling into a worried mess again, so she decided that maybe she should take over the talking.

"It was just a bad dream, Jaken. Nothing more." She sighed, running her free hand through her hair. Not having access to both hands was slowly proving to be far more irritating than she originally thought it would be. Not only could she not train, but she also had to think over every movement that she made so that she would not further injure herself. That in itself was enough to make her anxiety bubble.

"Have you always had them?" This made Rin look over at the now calm Jaken.

"What do you mean?" Rin rustled around so she was sitting up. A light shone from behind her, and she could see Sesshomaru's shadow dancing on the wall in front of her. _'The healer will be here soon'_ she thought.

"The nightmares. Have you always had them?" The question shouldn't have prompted as much thought as it did from the young woman. Had she always had the nightmares? She couldn't remember a time where she didn't besides when she traveled with Sesshomaru. She supposed that her mind just matured into darkness as she got older.

"No. They started when I was left in the village with Kaede. They haven't stopped since then." She wasn't sure _why_ she didn't have them in the InuYoukai's care, but she assumed it had something to do with how safe she felt under his watch. Though, if that were truly the case, why had she had one that night? Before she could answer her own question, the door to her room opened slowly.

"Lady Rin?" The use of the title startled her as she looked over to see the healer who had tended to her some odd hours before.

"Just Rin will do." The woman sat up a little straighter in an effort to appear less wounded than she actually was. She hated feeling any more weak that she could help.

"Very well, Rin. May I take a look at your wrist? I have brought a salve to ease the pain and some herbs to help you sleep." The last part is what scared Rin. She didn't like being in an induced sleep. Those were the times when her nightmares were worst, much like this instance.

"I will gladly accept the salve, however I wish to decline the use of the herbs. My body will allow me to sleep when it sees fit. Trying to force it would only result in a restless slumber that I would very much like to avoid." The healer sighed, an almost visible puff of breath escaping from her lips. She knew that the girl was stubborn and that there was no use in arguing with her, but she couldn't help but wonder how the great and powerful Lord Sesshomaru brought himself to put up with the child's antics. Though, she supposed, the woman was hardly a child any longer. _'All the more reason for her to act in a more mature fashion.'_

After the healer was done and, against Rin's wishes, bowed gracefully out of the room, the young woman took a few moments to center herself. She took in the tiny details of her room that she could see glinting from the moonlight streaming in from her open window. _'I guess I forgot to close it_ ' she mused.

Jaken left with the healer, so Rin was finally able to breathe and let the emotions left over from her nightmare flow through her like a current. She hated that she had them. She couldn't stand how helpless she felt while robbed blind of her sight and speech. That was another thing about these dreams, she has never been able to see her surroundings or call for help. When she was younger, Kagome used to have to sit with her during the night to ensure that she didn't harm herself in her sleep. As she got older, however, she learned how to somewhat control her physical movements while she experienced her inner turmoil.

A breeze blew through the room and the moonlight caught a glint of something small and dainty which sat on a small table beside her vase of black roses. Suddenly, it struck the young woman that she never did open the present that her Lord gave her on her birthday. So much happened that night that she honestly forgot about the small package. She didn't even remember setting it down on the table. _'Maybe he put it there for me.'_ she mused.

Being careful not to put any pressure on her wrist, Rin pushed herself up from her futon and made her way over to the table where the small gift sat. She picked it up, taking a moment to admire how delicately it was wrapped. _'I'm sure he didn't wrap it himself. I'm sure he had the vendor that he bought it from wrap it for him.'_ Rin chuckled as a vision of Sesshomaru worrying himself over package corners crossed her mind.

Rin sat back down on her futon and took a moment to glare at the tiny box in her lap. She only had one hand to open the package with, but she knew it would be difficult. Just as she was about to give up and set the gift aside for a day when she had use over her two hands, she heard a light tapping at the door. She looked over to see Jaken's shadow against the parchment. "Come in." She hummed.

A green head peaked around a barely open door. "I just wanted to make sure that you were doing better." His shrill voice was quiet so that he wouldn't bother the InuYoukai who could undoubtedly hear him from the room directly next to hers.

"Thank you, Jaken. I'm doing fine. However, I do have a favor to ask." This caused the imp to perk up a little.

"Of course! What is it you need?" In his excitement, he threw all concerns about his Lord's irritation to the wind.

"Will you open this for me? I can't seem to do so with my one functional hand." She sheepishly pushed the package towards the demon in hopes that he would help her.

"Why of course! I remember when Lord Sesshomaru bought this gift for you. It was in a village not far from Kaede's." He spoke absentmindedly as he made work of the neatly wrapped paper. He was being careful not to tear it incase Rin desired to keep the pretty parchment. When he was done, he handed the unwrapped box to the young woman before going to work on folding the wrapping paper.

Rin took in a deep breath before she tipped the box over so the lid would slide off. When she saw what was inside, she gave a little gasp which caught Jaken's attention. "Oh, let me see, Rin!" In front of her laid a delicate-looking hair clip. The shiny blue metal was twisted so that it depicted a koi fish, and the eyes were made from small black jewels. "It's beautiful." Jaken said right as Rin started to giggle just as she did when she was a child. "Rin?" He inquired, a bit put off by the girl's odd actions.

"S-Sorry Master Jaken. It's just that I can't believe he remembered." He flashed him one of her signature toothy smiles. "I wanted this clip so badly when we stopped at the village when I was younger. That was around the time that blue became my favorite color. It's just so funny that he remembered." She hugged the hair clip to her chest and sighed, looking at the shadows that were still dancing on the wall in front of her, signaling that Sesshomaru had not retired to bed yet. Rin was so deep in thought that she didn't register that Jaken had left the room, closing the door softly behind him. _'Well, I guess I should get some sleep.'_ The young woman mused, holding the hair piece close as she drifted off into a peaceful slumber.

Morning came far too quickly for Rin's liking. She was roused by the light shining in through the window that she kept forgetting to close. With a few groggy coughs to clear her throat from mouth-breathing during the night, she sat up, putting a little too much pressure on her wrist. "Damn this hurts like a bitch." She cursed under her breath, fully aware that that sort of language wasn't ladylike. Having grown up around InuYasha in her teenage years, she learned many phrases that young women should never hear in their lifetime.

"Lady Rin?" A small voice came from the doorway.

"I told you before, just Rin will suffice." However, the young woman quickly realized that she had never met the woman standing at the entrance to her room. "Wait, who are you?" This caused the small woman to chuckle.

"My name is Ame, L-Rin." She had to stop herself from using the honorific that had been ground into her since birth. "Lord Sesshomaru has assigned me as your personal assistant until your wrist heals." This caused Rin to sigh in exasperation. She didn't know that a broken wrist left someone so useless. However, she had come to realize that many of her everyday tasks had become much harder since she did not have full use of both of her hands.

"Very well. Please, come in. You don't have to be so tense around me." Rin gave the warmest smile that she could muster so early after waking. She could see Ame's shoulders ease some as she stepped in and closed the door behind her. "What is that you're holding?" The maid was holding a bundle of cloth under her arms.

"Oh, these are your clothes for the day! Our Lord instructed that you be bathed and changed as soon as you woke. You will then be joining him for breakfast." The last part caught Rin a little off guard. In all of her years she couldn't remember sharing a proper meal with Sesshomaru. As a small child, she came to the assumption that the InuYoukai simply did not eat. However, as she grew older and began asking questions, InuYasha explained that he probably just ate raw food instead of the cooked food that humans were accustomed to.

"Did he give any specific reason for the meeting?" The servant looked taken aback at the question. It became quickly obvious that Sesshomaru would never share such information with a mere maid. "Oh, I see, nevermind then. Where will I be bathing?" _This_ question caused Ame to chuckle lightly. "What?" Rin got immediately defensive.

"Well, you will be bathing in the bath house of course! Where else would a Lady such as yourself be bathing?" Rin crossed her arms, careful not to hurt her hand.

"I told you, I'm no Lady." Ame merely responded with a smile, not wanting to further agitate her Lady. She had learned from her training that silence was sometimes the best way to diffuse a tense situation. "Very well, let us go to the bath house so that I can get this grime and sweat off of me. It's been quite a while since I had a proper bath."

As the two women made their way across the palace grounds, Rin was quickly hypnotized by how beautiful the place looked in the morning light. Perfect drops of morning dew sat atop the grass and the morning sunlight hit the palace in such a way that it caught every glimmer and shine of the outside decorations. Rin knew that it was highly unlikely that Sesshomaru himself decorated. "Who decorated my room and the rest of the palace? I know it wasn't Lord Sesshomaru." Rin inquired.

"Me and my mother did. With the help of a few friends, of course. We spent a lot of time gathering information on you and your tastes so that we would know just how to make your room feel like home. I really do hope that you like it." Ame gushed, making Rin smile from behind her. "I loved decorating this mansion. It took months, but it was the most fun I've ever had."

"That's so great...that you got to spend that sort of time with your mom." Rin sighed, slowing her pace a little as they neared the bathing site. "I never got to make those memories with my parents. They were killed when I was very young. I can hardly remember what they look like anymore." It wasn't often that Rin felt sorry for herself, but she couldn't help it sometimes. She was definitely grateful for the life that Sesshomaru provided her with when he decided to save her, but nothing could ever replace the childhood memories of a home and parents.

"I'm sorry. I know that has to be hard on you." Ame said softly, placing her hand on Rin's shoulder to stop her. "Here, lets get you cleaned up and changed. Maybe a hot bath and some fresh clothes will help you feel a little better." Although Rin was not someone to quickly trust people, she couldn't help but feel safe around this girl. It was almost as if she had a friend who could relate to her. That in itself was a very comforting thing.

After being cleaned and dressed in a baby-blue winter kimono with red chrysanthemums decorating it, Rin made her way towards the dining hall that she located the day before. Though, she wouldn't have had to know the way beforehand since the smell of the food was so strong and her stomach was so empty. Once the young woman reached the source of the tantalizing smell, she flung the door open in an almost intrusive manner. "Rin." Sesshomaru's voice greeted her.

Servants escorted her to her seat while making sure to be extra careful not to touch her wrist. "Sesshomaru-Sama." She returned the greeting. Before her was a breakfast spread fit for a queen. All sorts of food graced her sight and tempted her use of etiquette as she constantly reminded herself that she was in the presence of a Lord, no matter how familiar to her he may be. "What is the meaning of this meeting, if I may ask?" She graciously thanked the servants before picking up the chopsticks that were laid before her. Sesshomaru gave her a slight nod, indicating that she may begin eating.

"I heard that the cause of your unrest last night was a bad dream. Are these a particular bother to you?" Rin almost spit out her first bite. Was he really that concerned with something that trivial?

"Please don't worry yourself with that, My Lord. It's nothing that I cannot handle."

"You did not seem to be handling it very well last night." The statement in itself was an innocent one, but Rin couldn't help but see an innuendo in his words that made her blush profusely. _'Damn that lecherous monk for teaching me about these dirty phrases.'_ The woman thought as she stabbed her chopsticks into her food, silently cursing Miroku for plaguing her with an unclean mind.

"Please, My Lord. That cannot be the reason that you called for this meal together." There was a pause before Sesshomaru decided to answer. He was a little put back by her reluctance to talk about what ailed her. He didn't particularly care, but he knew that human females liked to feel as though people were concerned about what troubled them.

"Very well, I wanted to speak to you about your stay here. I know that you aren't accustomed to the life of royalty, nor do I expect you to be. It does, however, come with certain tasks that must be completed." He sighed before beginning to eat his food: raw pieces of meat accompanied with rice and vegetables. _'I guess even an InuYoukai such as Lord Sesshomaru must maintain a balanced diet.'_ Rin silently mused.

"What sorts of tasks are you referring to, My Lord?" Rin was glad to hear that she would have other jobs to do besides her combat training. She couldn't stand sitting idle with nothing to do. It gave her far too much time to think.

"You'll have to attend lessons daily in order to stay up to date on your knowledge of the land and the royalty that has ruled it over the years." This confused the young woman slightly.

"What land?" She knew that Sesshomaru ruled some portion of the lands but she never paid close attention to which portion that was. All she was concerned about as a child was attempting to keep up with his long strides because she knew that he would scold her if she fell too far behind in their travels.

"The Western Land, Rin." He showed small signs of irritation, which made Rin's face fall. She didn't mean to irritate him, but she hadn't been required to know these things before. The knowledge would have been of no use to her while she was living in Kaede's village. The only thing that she learned there was what Kagome taught her about healing, reading, and some thing called "math". Seeing no signs of Rin intending to reply, Sesshomaru continued. "Your teacher is well-trained in the subject and will ensure that you learn what is necessary."

"Would it be possible for me to help the healers as well?" The question made Sesshomaru raise an eyebrow. "I learned how to identify medicinal herbs and use them for healing in my time with Kaede. I would like to keep my knowledge in practice." The demon lord sighed deeply after a moment of thought.

"Very well, but I don't want you getting too acquainted with the house staff. They serve you, remember." Rin scoffed, leaning back after finishing her food.

"I'd like to believe the service is mutual." She wiped her mouth and gave the servants a smile of thanks as they cleared her dishes from in front of her. "I've never been a fan of being catered to. I'm more than capable of taking care of myself, and I live doing as such." The sudden assertion of authority caught the InuYoukai off-guard and he looked at her for a brief moment, taking the time to register her features. It was in this time that he noticed one thing that had escaped him for some time now; Rin was no longer the helpless child that he found all of those years ago. She was a woman now...a woman who was more than capable of making her own decisions.

"Very well. Do as you wish. Just make sure that you have enough time for your combat training and history lessons. That will be all that I require from you." Without another word, Sesshomaru got up from his spot and walked out of the dining hall. As he retired to his room to begin his work, he couldn't help but be distracted by his thoughts about Rin. She never was a particularly rebellious child. Whenever he told her to do something, she did it to the most literal sense. However, he could now see a hint of defiance in her eyes whenever he spoke to her. She had grown to question him...even if she didn't do it outloud. _'She really has grown.'._


End file.
